Archive for the ‘light’ tag
Art, meet science (and vice versa)
“Aesthetics” is the study of beauty. The connotation is art: painting, sculpture, dance, etc.
Science and engineering has aesthetics, too, but it hides behind the term “elegance”, not “beauty”. What could possibly be more elegant than Euler’s identity, that single equation relating e, i, and π?
Recently, I’ve seen more acceptance of the idea that science can partner with art to create very beautiful things. Electronic music creators — “artists”, use sophisticated digital hardware to create beautiful music. Brooklyn-based NYC Resistor is using LEDs and microcontrollers to create stunning visual experiences. The MakerBot allows sharing and replication of physical artifacts, the same way open-source authors share source code.
Walking on Broadway last Sunday, I came across the above display. Using laser projectors aimed at a grid of semi-reflective rods, artist Don Corson projected the laser beam into three dimensions. The end result looked SO COOL. 